


The Singing Plague of 2012

by Firebog



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-19 02:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1452637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firebog/pseuds/Firebog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's fairly certain that's the only reasonable explanation left for Dean and Cas's weird behaviour lately. Singing plagues are a thing right? There were dancing plagues- he knows, he's done the research- so maybe they were being hit with a singing plague.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Diner Incident

**Author's Note:**

> Set during season 8 but with less mind control. I'm just gonna say Cas got out on his own by- look! what in the word can that be! ....hmmm I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.
> 
> This is what I do instead of study.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three and a half hours of sitting in a diner drinking coffee all so Dean and Cas can act weird while he gets all the funny looks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will leave it to you and the awesome power of google to figure out the song.

Dean was late. Check out had been three hours ago and Dean had the car. 

Which was why Sam was sitting in the diner beside their motel drinking coffee after coffee with both their bags at his feet. His brother had texted from some bar last night to tell him not to wait up for before going to bed. Well not in those words exactly. It had been more along the lines of _Getting lucky! Have a good night with your hand!_ Dean had spent the night screwing around- literally- while he got to do research for their next hunt. As annoying as it was he couldn't bring himself to be mad about it. Dean had been acting off since getting back from Purgatory, it was nice to see him finally getting back into the swing of things. Hopefully this would turn out better than when Dean had come back from Hell.

Sam tapped his finger on the end of a fork sending the handle bouncing up and down. Yeah, it was nice that Dean was feeling better.....it was.....really. Dear god check out was three hours ago! There's only so much coffee a man can drink!

Dean slid into the booth twenty minutes later. He grabbed the menu off the table and started reading like his life depended on it. His fingers tapped the edges of the menu in time to a song that only he could hear and he had on his smug I-got-laid-and-it-was-awesome smile.

Sam smirked at him. Sure Dean was late but he couldn't pass up an opportunity to tease his brother. Dean had his shirt buttoned up all the way and his jacket pulled tight around his neck. He had never known Dean to hide a hickey before. "You ah- catch a cold or something? You look pretty bundled up over there."

Dean glanced up and gave Sam a what-are-you? look. He went back to the menu. The finger tapping turned into quiet whistling and half murmured words under his breath.

Sam was going to try and egg him on but the familiar sound of wings announced Cas's arrival. Cas had appeared beside Dean in the booth. Sam was surprised to see him. From the way Cas had talked back at Fred's retirement home it sounded like Cas had intended to stay there for awhile.

Dean turned and stared at Cas but didn't say anything.

"Hi Cas." Sam said since his brother was a freak.

"Hello Sam." Cas said while staring back at Dean.

"You need something Cas?" Sam asked. Cas didn't usually just show up unless something life threatening was going on. Hopefully everything was still okay with Fred.

"No." Cas said still staring at Dean.

Sam watched them for a moment then shook his head. Even if Cas wasn't an angel and Dean wasn't a hunter and they hadn't just escaped Purgatory they'd still be complete weirdoes. Who just stared at some one like that?

The waitress came over. She smiled at Sam, "I see your brother finally showed up."

"Yeah." Sam said. He snapped a finger in front of Dean to get his attention. Dean glared at him. Sam nodded towards the waitress.

"So you want anything other then more coffee?" The waitress asked holding up the pot of coffee.

"Nah, another refill is good enough for me." Sam said sliding his cup over.

She filled Sam's cup then looked over to Dean and Cas, "And what can I get you two boys?"

"Bacon cheeseburger, extra bacon." Dean said.

Sam wondered why Dean even bothered to look at menus any more. You could tell the time by what Dean ate a diners.

"And you, love?" The waitress asked Cas.

Sam was expecting an awkward, I don't eat or I do not require sustenance, something angely from Cas. So he was rather shocked when Cas came out with something else completely.

"I'll have the same." Cas said calmly.

Dean grinned like an idiot.

Sam however felt the blood drain out of his face. There were only three times he had seen Cas eat. When he was falling, when Famine had been in town, and when it hadn't been Cas at all but Jimmy Novak instead. He stared wide-eyed at Cas. Something else seemed off about Cas too but he couldn't pin point it, maybe it was just some residual crazy or stress from Purgatory? He leaned in a bit, "Cas, you sure nothing's up?"

Cas's head slowly started into it's confused incline. "There are many things that are up Sam, as can be seen by simple observation."

Dean snickered but not at Cas. He was laughing at Sam.

Sam shot Dean an annoyed look. He turned back to Cas, "I'm just worried, ya'know, since you're eating."

"Why are you worried that I'm eating?" Cas asked and there went the head cant again.

"Ah...maybe because you don't eat?" Sam suggested.

Cas looked to Dean as if he could better answer the question. Dean shrugged. They started staring at each other again. Apparently that was the end of that conversation.

Sam stared at his coffee since everyone was staring at something.

Dean started whistling and murmuring words under his breath again, tapping his fingers along to the song. " _Hey angel you got the love I need...maybe more than enough.....oh darling darling darling...._ "

That Dean was singing along to his mental led zeppelin sound track didn't faze Sam in the slightest what made Sam go bug-eyed was that Cas was silently mouthing the words along with Dean. Sam put his coffee down, "Okay, what is going on? Are we in the twilight zone?"

Cas stopped and stared at Sam as if he were a very interesting bug.

Dean gave Sam a how-are-you-my-brother? look.

Before Sam could say anything more the waitress came back with their orders whereupon Dean and Cas stuffed their faces. Sam didn't have to ask where Cas learned to eat. He was going to push the is everything okay conversation but he was afraid to interrupt the gorging session in case they choked. Besides, the singing weirdness had stopped so maybe eating was a good thing.

Still, it was better to be on the safe side. Sam eyed Dean and Cas for signs of anything- possession, spells, you name it- nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening. Well nothing out of the ordinary for them. He'd have to see if there were hex bags for situations like this. Anti-mind control spell hex bags or something like that. Had they been around witches lately that he didn't know about?

Eventually Cas announced that, _he must go_. Dean took that as his cue to square up the bill. Sam tried to put the whole weird morning out of his head.

Dean got up a little too fast and fidgeted with his jacket before practically bouncing towards the door. Evidently whatever girl he had gone home with last night had been good in bed.

Sam followed behind Dean catching up to him at the door as several other people came in while they were trying to go out. Dean fidgeted with his jacket again. Sam glanced down, a glint of blue had caught his attention. From his higher vantage point he could see the collar of Dean's shirt easily now that his jacket wasn't pulled tight around his neck. Sam noticed a line of blue fabric just peaking out of the top of Dean's shirt. "Dean...are you wearing Cas's tie?"

If Sam had been standing in front of Dean he would have had blackmail for the rest of his life, as it was he completely missed out on Dean turning beet red. Dean kept heading out the door, "What? _No._ That's ridiculous."

Sam would have pressed the point except right then he got a call from Martin about Benny. 


	2. That Awkward Time You Were Singing In The Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam shot up from the table when he heard Dean shout out followed by the sound of something banging off the bathtub. A very terrible Tuesday came to Sam's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It occurred to me today that tags are spoilers but no one ever seems to complain.

Sam had his beer half way to his mouth for awhile now, he was rather absorbed in his laptop- there were some unusual out of season tornadoes in the Hastings area. He didn't hear the sound of wings fill the room so he jumped, nearly knocking the table over, when he heard,

"Hello Sam."

Sam collected himself. He breathed deeply a couple of times to get his heartbeat back down. Dean's suggestion of getting a bell for Cas was starting to look good.

"Hey Cas. What's-" He was about to say _what's up_ but he knew where that would lead, "Need anything? Or just dropping in for another burger?"

"I was-" Cas looked around the room, "Where's Dean?"

Sam pointed towards the bathroom with his beer, "Shower."

"Oh." Cas said squinting at the door to bathroom. "I'll come back shortly then."

Before Sam could ask what Cas wanted Cas was gone. He stared at the empty spot Cas had been a second ago then shrugged and went back to his research, except now that he wasn't in his research induced trance he noticed that Dean was singing in the shower and dear god was it horrible. Honestly, maybe next Christmas he'd get Dean singing lessons.

" _Somewhere just within my reach, there's someone reaching back for me! Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat! It's gonna take an ang-_ AH!"

Sam shot up from the table when he heard Dean shout out followed by the sound of something banging off the bathtub. A very terrible Tuesday came to Sam's mind. "You okay in there Footloose?"

There was silence. Icy fear was travelling through Sam's vieins. He went over to the door and knocked, "Dean? You alright?"

"Oh come on....that's just....."

"Dean?" Sam knocked on the door. He was getting ready to bash the door down. What if Dean was sprawled out on the floor of the bathroom bleeding out from a head wound? _"Dean?"_

"I'm fine- **_Ah_**."

"You sure?" Sam tested the door knob to see if it was locked, just in case.

"Yes! ...yeah...Yeah Sam. _Dear god._ I'm sure."

Sam looked at the door worried but Dean had gone back to singing- if haltingly- so he must be okay. He went back to checking out those tornadoes.

Forty minutes later Dean finally got out of the shower. That was forty minutes of listening to Dean sing the same song over and over.

"I was starting to think I'd have to buy you a tractor." Sam said glancing up at Dean as he came out of the bathroom.

"Huh?" Dean looked like he been hit on the head one too many times. A dopey smile was drifting across his face.

Sam shook his head. "Dude. No more Footloose for you."

Dean snapped out of it. He went over to the table. "What'd you find?"

The ruffle of feathers tipped them off to Cas reappearing.

"Hello Dean." Cas said staring holes through Dean, as an after thought he added, ".......Sam."

"Good to see you too." Sam said laughing a little, he needed to start timing these staring contests. He looked back to his laptop. "So there's a bunch of unusual tornadoes in Hastings. Sounds like it might be our kind of thing."

"Intriguing." Cas said still staring at Dean. "I'll come with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _could_ study or I could write things I find funny.


	3. The Styx and Sigils Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas didn't stay long and as soon as he was gone Sam sat Dean down to talk. If anyone knew what was going on with Cas it would be Dean. "Is Cas okay?"

They were squatting in an old house that had belonged to an old hunter once upon a time. There were still supplies and books scattered throughout the house. Dean had gone out to find dinner while Sam had stayed back to start sorting through the books. Anything that looked useful or dangerous was coming back to the bunker with them.

Sam was in the attic leafing through an ancient book in Latin. He thought it was describing how to best summon some sort of tree monster that may or may not actually exist. He put the book down into the maybe pile, that's when Sam heard it; singing from down stairs.

_"I tried to be the perfect soldier, I tired to be what everyone said was expected."_

He grabbed the demon knife in case it was some kind of....singing demon? He couldn't help the abrupt laugh that escaped his lips at the thought- come on, Crowley having a whole department of singing demons? That was funny. He got control of his thoughts and put on a stern scary hunter face. He crept down the stairs. The voice was...oddly familiar.

The singing was coming from the dilapidated living room. When he popped his head around the corner to scan for demons all he saw was Cas painting sigils in his own blood while....singing.

_"And still he treats me like a human. He says he'll still be there. I may not be a hero, but I'll be there, because I know he cares."_

Sam stood in the doorway to the living room and did a great impression of Cas. Dean came in a few moments later carrying dinner. Sam was still staring.

Dean poked his brother in the shoulder to see if he would just tip over, he was ready to yell timber! and everything but then Cas started singing the next line of the song. Dean pushed past Sam "Oh, Hey Cas!"

That snapped Sam out of it, "What're you doing?"

"I thought I would come and help. You didn't ward this house very well, anyone could find it." Cas said as he continued to paint sigils on the walls. The singing had turned to humming.

 _"Thanks."_ Dean said a little bit too sincerely. He started to hum along to the song. He plunked the paper bags down on the least sketchy piece of furniture in the room- which was an old china cabinet. He began unpacking dinner. "Didn't know you'd be here- I'd have picked up another burger."

"That's fine." Cas said pausing his sigil painting for a moment to stare at Dean. "I don't require sustenance the way you do."

A funny look passed across Sam's face. It had just occurred to him that this was the third time that Cas had found them apparently without anyone telling him where they were. Were the wards carved into their ribs fading? Sam wasn't sure which was more disturbing, the singing or fading wards?

Cas didn't stay long and as soon as he was gone Sam sat Dean down to talk. If anyone knew what was going on with Cas it would be Dean. "Is Cas okay?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" Dean asked through a mouthful of hamburger.

"He was _singing_ Dean." Sam said. He wasn't sure how to explain just how deeply disturbing that was.

Dean gave him an unimpressed look. He shrugged a little, "So? Can't a dude sing?"

Sam knew he was staring with his mouth wide open. How could Dean not think this was weird? Cas barely held his own in conversations some days and now he was singing. Sam tried again, "Dean, he was _singing a Styx song_."

Dean shrugged, "Styx is good. What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong...?" Sam repeated as if maybe repeating the words would make them different.

Dean shrugged at him before wandering off to check out the wards Cas had put up.

"....apparently nothing's wrong." Sam said to himself. He thought back over the past few weeks. Dean had been singing _a lot_ more than usual and singing at all was a lot more than usual for Cas. Maybe they really _were_ under a spell?

Dean started quietly singing the song Cas had been singing earlier.

It was definitely a spell.


	4. That Time You Were Singing Zeppelin "Alone"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The singing stopped abruptly when Sam put the key in the door. Sam walked in. Dean was sitting on the end of one of the beds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Studying? What's that? Who does that? I certainly don't.

Sam could hear Dean singing from the other side of the door. It had to be a spell. Dean had sung for the entire six hour drive from the bunker to the motel. Even Dean didn't like Zeppelin that much. Sam had no idea what purpose a witch could hope to achieve by cursing people to sing but it had to stop.

"... _for you I could never hide......When I feel you near me_ -"

The singing stopped abruptly when Sam put the key in the door. Sam walked in. Dean was sitting on the end of one of the beds. Sam put down the ingredients for the counter-spell he had dug up.

"Hey Sam." Dean said. He looked oddly flustered.

"Were you singing again?" Sam ask. He studied Dean. His brother was looking rather disheveled and he looked a little flushed. Maybe it was a part of the spell? Maybe you sang until you burst into flam- no that was the plot to an episode of some tv show.

"What? Uh no- I mean, yes. Zeppelin. Alone. I was here singing Zeppelin alone." Dean spluttered. He snatched up the remote for the tv and turned it on looking desperate to get out of the conversation.

Sam sighed then started putting the ingredients together for the counter-spell.

A few minutes and a couple of chants later Sam had a brown sludge for Dean to drink. He brought it over to his brother, thrusting the bowl made of a fox skull at him, "Drink this."

Dean sniffed it. "God no. What is that?"

"It should stop the effect of most spells you might be under." Sam said shoving the bowl at Dean.

"Spells? What spells?" Dean asked still not taking the bowl.

"You've been acting weird lately." Sam said still holding it out to him. Dean was going to drink the damn counter-spell whether he wanted to or not.

"I've been acting weird....so you think....I'm under a spell?" Dean asked as if he was trying to piece some secret puzzle together.

"Yes. So drink it." Sam pushed the bowl into Dean's chest.

"I'm not under any spells." Dean said taking the bowl.

"Drink it." Sam said sternly.

Dean knew that look in Sam's eye. He sighed and drank it. "Happy?"

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird thought: Do you think Sam was a good student because he researches hunts like a fiend or do you think he's good at supernatural research because he was a good student? Either way I'd like his powers of studying.


	5. You don't sing Mary Wells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fact that a singing plague was a reasonable explanation struck him as absurdly funny. When had his life come to this? Singing plagues? Right. Of course. File that between time travel closets and fairies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I almost feel guilty that I take twenty minutes out of my study schedule to write nonsense and then I think well at least it's fun nonsense, which is more than I can say about air chemistry.
> 
> I'll leave you and google to figure out which Mary Wells song Dean might have been singing.

It's not a spell.

It was still happening. And it had spread to Kevin.

Sam had thought he had this figured out, Dean had been unnervingly quiet on the car ride home, but when they got back to the bunker he was greeted with this....

Kevin was sitting at his lap top and typing furiously as he sang Bohemian Rhapsody.

Sam made a strangled noise. He hoped he wasn't about to break out into song; that whatever was happening to Dean and Cas wasn't spreading to him too.

Kevin heard the noise and turned around, "Oh, hi Sam."

"Hi Kevin." Sam managed to get out. He tensed up when he heard Dean's voice behind him. Dean was heading down the hall away from him but Sam was sure Dean was singing a Mary Wells songs. That was it. He needed to do some research.

He kept a careful distance from Kevin- who had gone back to singing- and started pulling books from the shelves. He started looking up supernatural illnesses. The one that hit closest to home was the Dancing Plague of 1518. The symptoms were: inexplicable dancing (obviously), chest pains, fits, and visions. Victims would often scream, laugh, or cry while dancing. If the dancers weren't cured of it they danced until they died from exhaustion or a stroke.

He grabbed his laptop to see if there were any more recent outbreaks but the closest thing he could find was the Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic of 1962. It shared some of the symptoms of the Dancing Plague, chest pains, screaming, and crying. Maybe it was the same thing just expressing itself differently? At least in the Laughing Epidemic there had been no fatalities.

Sam grabbed a few sheets of paper and started a new case file: The Singing Plague of 2012. The fact that a singing plague was a **_reasonable_** explanation struck him as absurdly funny. When had his life come to this? Singing plagues? Right. Of course. File that between time travel closets and fairies. He let out a sharp laugh then quickly clamped down on it. What if he was getting it too?

Kevin looked up from this laptop and notes, "Huh?"

"Singing plague." Sam said being rather abrupt. He jotted down the timeframe. "There's no way Dean is singing Mary Wells of his own free will."

"Singing plague?" Kevin asked because that was strange even for them.

"Yes." Sam said starting on the list of observed symptoms. "I'm pretty sure you're infected."

"You think we're being infected with a supernatural singing plague?" Kevin asked. He knew life as a hunter was stressful, clearly it had finally gotten to Sam.

"Well I think _you're_ infected. Dean and Cas too." Sam said trying to think of what else he should add to the file. Thinking of Cas he put down that it had crossed species barriers. "Unless you have a better explanation for why you're suddenly singing too."

Kevin stared for a moment trying to gauge if Sam was serious. It looked like he was. Sam really needed to take a break from hunting if he was getting worked up about people singing. "I don't have plague. Of any kind. You try staying alone in here for a couple of weeks. This place is creepy. It's just less creepy if there's background noise."

Sam added denial to the least of symptoms. "Yeah? So what's up with Dean and Cas?"

"I dunno. Dean's....well he's Dean and Cas is an angel." Kevin said. Hunters and angels had some pretty weird personality quirks when it was all said and done. Kevin had come to just accept it.

"My point exactly." Sam said. He underlined the symptom denial a few times. "Dean doesn't sing Mary Wells and Cas doesn't sing period."


	6. That time me and Kevin caught you singing together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You need to come see this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These just get more and more ridiculous as my brain melts from looking at chem.

"Sam? I think you're right." Kevin said. He had been looking for Sam for awhile and had found him in the stacks pulling out case files.

"Hhmmhuh?" Sam said through the pencil he had in his mouth as he pulled down a box. There was a file in there that detailed a case of uncontrollable laughter back in 1931.

"You need to come see this." Kevin said clearly agitated. He started down the hall.

Sam set the box down and followed Kevin.

"I was going back to the library and they were just doing this." Kevin said in hushed tones. He crept towards the library. When they got to the last bend in the hallway he stopped. "Listen."

Sam leaned towards the corner but stayed hidden. He could hear Dean.

_"But my desire for you is much too strong."_

Clearly the singing plague was still affecting Dean. Sam was about to stride into the library and start asking Dean if he had any other symptoms when Cas's voice supplied the next line of the song.

_"To be with you in heaven, I've gone through the darkest hell."_

The singing plague was obviously getting worse. Sam wasn't even sure how it could be effecting Cas. Shouldn't he just shrug it off like so many stab wounds? Sam went around the corner.

Cas glanced over and disappeared at the first sight of Sam.

"Where'd Cas go?" Sam asked coming into the library.

"Cas? What?" Dean asked, fidgeting in his seat. "Cas wasn't here. Why do you ask?"

Sam added memory loss and disorientation to the list of symptoms that night.


	7. When you were singing about "pie"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This plague business was getting worse. Dean wasn't even sleeping anymore it seemed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all so silly. I don't even know anymore. 
> 
> Yes I have changed some of the lyrics throughout this bizarre fic on purpose.

It was the middle of the night and all Sam wanted was a bowl of cereal to sate his midnight craving. As he padded barefoot down the hallway he could hear singing from the kitchen.

_"You'll never leave me and you know it's true, cuz you like me too much and I like you."_

This plague business was getting worse. Dean wasn't even sleeping anymore it seemed. Hopefully Dean would get over it soon without any ill effect. Sam stepped into the kitchen yawning wide, eyes squeezed closed. His eyes snapped open when he heard a crash. Dean was sprawled on the floor gripping an over turned chair.

"I was singing about pie!" Dean said in a panic. He scrambled up and started righting the chair.

Sam just stared, it was too late for all this singing nonsense. He just wanted his bowl of cereal. "It's alright Dean. It's the only way to get rid of it."

"...get rid of...pie?" Dean asked sounding confused and just slightly alarmed.

"The singing. We've been hit with some sort of singing plague." Sam said as he got a bowl out and proceeded to get the cereal.

Dean watched his brother pour cereal into the bowl as if everything he had just said made complete sense and didn't sound like the ravings of a mad man, "...what the hell are you talking about?"

"You've been singing. Like none stop for weeks. And every time I've seen Cas lately he's been singing too." Sam said getting the milk out, "Kevin was even singing for a bit there but I guess he got over it."

Dean snorted and put a hand to his jaw hiding the lower half of his face. A few short laughs escaped him, "Yeah. I...umm...yeah, singing plague, that's...definitely."

Sam pointed at Dean with his spoon, "Laughing is a symptom."

Dean would have laughed more except he had just noticed a rather incriminating trench coat carefully folded and placed on the table. He glanced at Sam but his brother had apparently not yet noticed, too absorbed by his midnight snack.


	8. And the morning after Cas was humming the same song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam wondered where Dean had been all morning. He hadn't heard singing anywhere in the bunker. Maybe Dean had finally gotten over his bout of singing plague.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided ten chapters because I like base ten.

Sam was sitting in the library reading over some case files that might be relevant to their current problem when he heard the ruffle of feathers behind him. He turned his head and sure enough, "Hi Cas."

"Hello Sam." Cas responded.

Sam was about to go back to the file in front of him when he turned to do a double take, Cas wasn't wearing his coat. "Where'd the trench coat go?"

"I left my coat when I was...." Cas paused as if he had forgotten what the correct words in English might be. "....here previously."

"And you can't just angel magic it back to you?" Sam asked a bit perturbed by the whole thing. It was a little unsettling seeing Cas standing around in just his suit.

"I could but I have been told it's unsettling when I do that." Cas explained in his you-humans-have-strange-and-inexplicable-customs voice.

"Well yeah, if it's someone else's stuff or if you don't warn someone before you do it. But it's _your_ coat so you can-" Sam waved a hand to imply that Cas should just call his coat to him or whatever it was Cas did to make things just appear.

"It's fine Sam. Dean told me he would bring it to me in the library." Cas said. He looked around the library, "...where is Dean?"

"I dunno. I haven't seen him since last night." Sam said wondering now where Dean had been all morning. He hadn't heard singing anywhere in the bunker. Maybe Dean had finally gotten over his bout of singing plague. "But if he told you he'd be here I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

"I'll wait here then." Cas stood quietly beside one of the bookshelves and stared off into space.

"Right." Sam shook his head, guess the conversation was over. Cas was learning when it came to social norms but he had a way to go. After awhile Sam noticed quiet humming. He turned around. "What're you humming? It sounds familiar."

"I believe it's a song by a group of young males called the Beatles." Cas explained in the same voice he used to explain some intricacy of a spell, then added "You like me too much."

"Huh?" Sam wasn't really sure why Cas suddenly thought that he liked him too much. Maybe Cas had further to go in the learning social norms department.

"The name of the song is you like me too much." Cas clarified.

"Oh." Sam let out a bit of a laugh just as Dean came bustling into the library. He came to a sudden halt when he saw Cas standing in the library. Sam watched as the two stared at each other. He coughed lightly when it went on a little too long for his comfort.

"Cas! I- uh...have your coat...in my room." Dean said coming out of his staring trance. He waved for Cas to follow him down the hall. Cas disappeared from the library and reappeared walking beside Dean.

Sam went back to his case file....wait- wasn't that the song Dean had been singing last night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evidently it's easter this weekend. I will likely post the last two chapters despite this. Probably between arguments with my family over the merits of the easter snake rather than the easter bunny. Personally I think all holidays are made better with snakes. Easter Snake? Of course. Christmas Cobra? Hell yeah! May 24th Mamba? I can't think of anything better! Snakes! Hooray!


	9. Let's just pretend that didn't happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's nothing to say because it totally did not happen. Now, where's the brain bleach?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been up since Saturday. I need to sleep now. The last chapter will be posted tonight. Oh! And there was a moose hanging out on my parents’ driveway when I got to their house. It did not have epic hair though. I felt I needed to share that.

Sam walked into the garage bay not expecting what he saw. Well in all honestly he hadn't been _expecting_ anything. He had just wanted to run some details by Dean about their next hunt. Dean had muttered something at lunch about needing to fix the impala- and that Sam was better at research anyway- and had disappeared for the rest of the afternoon but...Dean and Cas were definitely not fixing the car.

[Music blared from the impala.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0LWBm4Cxjs) The passenger door was wide open, the car bounced gently, and...and...and Sam stood frozen to the spot. It was like watching a train wreck, he just couldn’t look away. There was just so much- _**skin**_. And hands. Oh god. What- Why would- how did they- _he had to sit in that passenger seat!_ Sam felt his face start turning bright red as he realized he was staring at Dean and Cas while they- _on the **passenger** seat!_ And- oh god no...that was not how you fixed a car!

Sam spun on his heel and shot out of the garage. When he had made it to the safety of the library, and had blocked out as much as he could, he kind of wanted to smack himself. How hadn’t he noticed? A small sliver of blue peeking out of Dean’s shirt in that diner weeks ago came back to mind. In light of what he had just walked in on Dean had _definitely_ been wearing Cas's tie.

Fingers snapped in front of his face. He blinked. Kevin was in front of him. How long had he been just standing there? 

“You okay?” Kevin asked. “You look like someone just offered to eat your first born.”

Before Sam could answer Dean came bouncing into the library. His face was a little flushed and seemed to be stuck in a wide smile. It faded a little when Dean saw Sam, “Whoa Sam. You look like you need to sit down.”

Sam thought that sounded like a rather good idea. He sat down. His brain needed to catch up with everything he just saw and find a way to unify it with the rest of reality. Preferably by pretending he hadn't seen Dean and Cas- he shivered. No one wanted to see their older brother naked. In the car. With Cas. Who was also naked.

“This is what you get for eating rabbit food all the time Sammy.” Dean said. He put a hand on Sam’s head and messed up his hair, “You need to eat a balanced diet- add in some burgers and pizza once in awhile. You know, the important things.”

Sam wondered if Dean had washed his hands before coming to the library. Dean’s hands had been- Sam suppressed another shiver. Sam needed to wash his hair like yesterday.

Dean plunked down in a chair at the table. “So? How’s the research going?”

Kevin gave Sam one last look to make sure he was okay before pushing his laptop over towards Dean to show him the police reports, “There’s a bunch of strange deaths in Madison that look like they might be connected to the Chicago thing.”

Sam was having a hard time concentrating. He was going to need a coarse wire brush to scrub what he had seen from his brain. Sam felt his face go red again when he heard the sound of Cas coming in for a landing.

“Hello.” Cas said looking at Kevin and Sam. He turned to look down at Dean- he had appeared right beside him. “Hello Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” Dean grinned up at him. “What brings you here?”

“I thought I might assist you on your next hunt.” Cas said sitting down beside Dean.

The mundanity of their conversation made Sam’s eye twitch. He watched as Kevin talked over the details and Dean and Cas hypothesized about what could be killing people in Madison and Chicago. If he hadn’t walked in on Dean and Cas earlier in the garage bay he’d never guess. 

Then as if to add insult to injury Dean quietly began humming the song from earlier and a few moments later the fingers on Cas’s right hand started to twitch which eventually turned into tapping along to Dean's humming.

A rather unbidden thought came to Sam’s mind; all those time he had walked in on Dean and Cas singing, had he just barely missed walking in on- 

Sam stood up very suddenly.

Dean, Cas, and Kevin all turned to stare at him.

“I have to go wash my hair.” Sam said, because let’s be honest Dean didn’t washed his hands after. 

Dean laughed, “Right, you go do that Samantha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I failed at the embedded link the song was Ruff Stuff by AC/DC.
> 
> Also I kind of feel like Dean and Cas going at it on the passenger seat of the impala would be the equivalent of walking into your bedroom and discovering your brother screwing someone in your bed.
> 
> And you just know that Dean had the, I'll go out first. You wait a few minutes and come out, conversation with Cas.


	10. Some days I kind of hate you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what he got for not making a big deal about it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of drunk right now. Except replace kind of with really. And if we're replacing words might as well replace drunk with great!

Two weeks later and Sam had successfully managed to block out that thing that totally didn't happen. He was sitting quietly in the library downloading music because despite what everyone else thought he did have hobbies other than research. He glanced up when he noticed Dean stumble into the war room almost as if someone had given him a not so gentle shove.

Dean glared over his shoulder before putting a determined look on his face and marching over to Sam.

"Hi Dean." Sam said a little concerned about the expression on Dean's face. It was the some-one-is-in-over-their-head-and-we-have-to-help-them expression. "Everything okay?"

Dean nodded. The expression didn't go away.

Sam shrugged in confusion. He wasn't sure what it was his brother was trying to mentally communicate with him. "You going to tell me who's dying?"

"Me-" Dean began.

" ** _What?"_** Sam lurched forward in his chair. He had meant it as a joke.

Dean put his hands up in a stay calm gesture. "Whoa, calm down. No one's dying."

"Don't **_do_** that!" Sam said. Their day to day lives were bad enough without Dean answering questions ambiguously. He let out a long breath. "Okay, so what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Dean said still looking distressed. He cast a glance back towards the hallway. He turned back to Sam with an even more pained expression on his face.

"Okay, so why do you look like someone's in dire trouble?" Sam asked, something awful had clearly happened.

"So..." Dean said and that was as far as he got.

"So...?" Sam said leaning forward a little.

"So I'm...." Dean tried again. He looked like he wanted to run but another glance back over his shoulder made him stay. He went silent again.

"Are you going to finish that thought?" Sam prompted. What on earth was Dean so freaked out about?

"So...ah- me...and ah- _Cas_....are.... ** _together_**." Dean finally managed to get out.

Sam stared for a moment. As soon as Dean had said, _and Cas_ , Sam's brain lit up with the obvious answer. He had been waiting for this for the last two weeks. "...yeah."

Dean's face went from pained worry to blank. "You don't seem..."

"Surprised?" Sam offered.

"Yeah." Dean just looked outright confused now.

"I ah- kind of walked in on you- _fixing the car_.” Sam said scratching the back of his head in a yeah-sorry-I-just-admitted-to-seeing-you-guys-screwing-it-was-awkward-for-me-too kind of gesture. Guess he hadn't completely blocked that out.

"Oh." Dean said and found somewhere else to look because yeah, that's an awkward way to find out your brother already knew that you were seeing someone.

An awkward silence stretched between them. Sam searched for something to say. Something that would say, hey, it's totally cool that you're banging a sort of a dude angel, but for some strange reason the best his brain could come up with was a joking, "Yeah, how am I supposed to ever sit in the car again?"

Dean studied Sam's face for a minute before a slow grin worked it's way onto his face, "Or in that chair."

Sam's face dropped. He moved to another chair.

Dean's grin went wider, " _Any_ of the chairs."

Sam stood up and glared. This is what he got for not making a big deal about it?

"Or research at the table." Dean said give the table a loving stroke.

Sam yanked his laptop off the table. "That's not funny."

"I'm not joking." Dean said, his face mockingly solemn.

"Come on." Sam pleaded, "I'm not even _trying_ to get you to talk about how big this is."

"Sorry Sammy." Dean said, very clearly not sorry. "Wouldn't you rather know not to eat at the kitchen table?"

Sam hunched his shoulders and fled the room.

"Or in the dining room." Dean said starting to crack up.

"Shut up!" Sam said, clutching his laptop protectively.

"And I'd watch what you touch in the store room!" Dean shouted after him.

Sam flipped him off and hurried to his room. Hopefully that was still safe.

Cas slipped into a mortally visible plane beside Dean. "That was cruel."

Dean laughed harder because really, what's the point to a baby brother if you can’t scar them for life?

"And we haven't done anything in the file storage room." Cas said thoughtfully.

Dean turned to Cas, his laughter dying down. A seductive grin spreading across his face, "....do you want to?"

Cas gave him a smouldering look. That was answer enough.

Dean chuckled to himself before grabbing Cas's tie and leading the way. Poor Sammy, there wouldn't be anywhere safe left by the end of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my mind Dean and Cas had been arguing for awhile about what to tell Sam which cumulated in Cas just shoving Dean out into the library with the strict instruction of _Go tell Sam. Now._ because really, Dean would be happy to just sneak around indefinitely; that way he wouldn't have to have any heart to hearts with anyone.
> 
> So that's the end of my awkward fluff-filled fic.


End file.
